Cub Pack 1223

Patches & Awards

The Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program

The Academics and Sports program gives Cub Scouts extra activities to do. In Academics subjects and Sports, Cub Scouts learn new skills, become better scholars, learn sportsmanship, and have fun. You can get to know a sport or an academic subject that's new to you maybe astronomy, chess, computers, or science, golf, gymnastics, ice skating, or tennis, to name a few of the subjects and sports that are in the program.

This is a chance to try something new and to do your best without worrying about winning or losing. Cub Scouts earn awards for learning teamwork and skills, getting physically fit, finding and building new talents, and doing your best. These things are more important than winning.

Academics and Sports Subjects

Cub Scout Academics
  • Art
  • Astronomy
  • Chess
  • Citizenship
  • Collecting
  • Communicating
  • Computers
  • Geography
  • Geology
  • Heritages
  • Language and Culture
  • Map and Compass
  • Mathematics
  • Music
  • Science
  • Weather
  • Wildlife Conservation
Cub Scout Sports
  • Badminton
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Bicycling
  • Bowling
  • Fishing
  • Flag Football
  • Golf
  • Gymnastics
  • Ice Skating
  • Marbles
  • Physical Fitness
  • Roller Skating
  • Soccer
  • Snow Ski and Board Sports
  • Softball
  • Swimming
  • Table Tennis
  • Tennis
  • Ultimate
  • Volleyball

Academics and Sports Belt Loops

You earn a belt loop to wear with your uniform when you complete three specific requirements for each Academics or Sports activity. You can take part in three ways: (1) by yourself or with your family, (2) in your den or pack, or (3) in school. Click here for more information about Belt loops & Pins.

Academics and Sports Letter and Pins

Once you have earned the belt loop, you can stop. But if you want to do more with the activity, you may complete extra requirements to earn a pin.

A good place to display Academics and Sports pins is on the Academics and Sports letter. You can wear the letter on a sweater or a jacket, or display or frame it. The letter does not go on the Cub Scout uniform. There are no special requirements for earning the letter, because it's just for displaying the pins.

Additional Recognitions

Besides the belt loops and pins, there are other kinds of recognitions for the Academics and Sports program. These include pocket cards, medals, trophies, and a program emblem.


Other Awards You Can Earn

Besides the advancement awards and the Academics and Sports belt loops and pins, Cub Scouts may earn other individual awards. Set your sights on these:

Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award

Tiger Cubs, Wolf and Bear Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts may earn the Cub Scout Outdoor Activity Award. This award recognizes the Scout for taking part in outdoor recreation and conservation projects. In many cases, you can earn this award while doing other Scouting activities.

Religious Emblems

To encourage members to grow stronger in their faith, many religious groups have programs for young people to earn a religious emblem. The Boy Scouts of America approves of these programs and allows the religious emblems to be worn on the official uniform.

For a list of emblems programs, and a list of awards provided by each faith or religious group, see the Religious Emblems Programs page.

Cub Scout World Conservation Award

Webelos Scouts can earn the Cub Scout World Conservation Award by earning the Forester, Naturalist, and Outdoorsman activity badges and taking part in a den or pack conservation project.

Cub Scouting's Leave No Trace Awareness Award

Leave No Trace is a plan that helps people take better care of the environment and protect it for future generations. Cub Scouts and their leaders may earn the Leave No Trace Awareness Award.

Emergency Preparedness Award

"Emergency preparedness" means being ready for all kinds of emergencies. It means you're ready and able to help in times of trouble to save lives and property and to help a community—or even a nation—get back to normal after a disaster happens. To encourage Scouts of all ages to be prepared for emergencies, the BSA has approved an Emergency Preparedness Award program for members of all ages. To learn more about the award requirements and to download an application form, visit the Emergency Preparedness Award page.

Medals

Cub Scouts who compete in Cub Scout derbies, field days, and other competitive events can win medals to wear on their uniform.

Awards for Your Den and Pack

Just as Cub Scouts can earn individual awards for themselves, they can also work together to earn awards for their whole den or their pack. Getting together to work on these awards is a great way to practice teamwork and to show every Cub Scout how important he is as a member of his den or pack.

National Den Award

The National Den Award recognizes dens that have a quality, year-round program. The award goes to dens that do service and conservation projects, Cub Scout Academics and Sports, field trips, character building, and camping. Dens earn the award as a team, not as individual den members. The recognition is a ribbon for the den flag or den doodle.

National Summertime Pack Award

A pack can earn the National Summertime Pack Award by doing three pack activities when school is out for the summer—one activity each in June, July, and August. Packs that qualify get a colorful streamer for their pack flag. Dens that have at least half of their members at the three summer pack events can earn a den ribbon. Pack members who take part in all three events are eligible for the National Summertime Pack Award pin, to wear on the right pocket flap of their uniform.

If a pack is in a "year-round school" (or is part of a home-school association), the pack could earn the Summertime Pack Award by having a special pack activity during school breaks.

National Quality Unit Award

The Quality Unit Award recognizes outstanding packs (and also troops, teams, crews, and ships) that have quality programs for their members. To earn this award, packs need well-trained leaders and they must meet several other requirements, such as holding regular pack meetings, qualifying for the National Summertime Pack Award (above), going on an outdoor activity, doing a service project, having at least three-fourths of the Scouts advance in rank, and having all Scouts subscribe to Boys' Life magazine.

All members, both youth and adults, of a pack that earns this award may wear the Quality Unit emblem on their uniforms. The pack may also display a streamer on the pack flag.

Veteran Unit Emblem

This emblem is a gold embroidered bar worn by boys and adult leaders of packs that have been chartered 50 years or longer. It is worn just below the council patch, above and touching the pack numeral.

William T. Hornaday Unit Award

The Hornaday Awards program encourages learning about natural resources, conservation, and the environment. Respecting the outdoors is an important part of Scouting. Scouts learn to understand and take care of natural resources and to protect the environment.

A Cub Scout pack may earn this award by doing a big, special conservation project. More than half of the pack's members must take part. This award is granted through the Conservation Service of the BSA National Council. Packs must apply for the award through their local council.